ADB appoints two new vice-presidents

DUSHANBE, June 9, 2015, Asia-Plus – Press release issued by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on June 8 notes that ADB has appointed Diwakar Gupta as Vice-President for Private Sector and Cofinancing Operations, and Bambang Susantono as Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development.

Mr. Gupta will be responsible for operations of the Private Sector Operations Department and the Office of Cofinancing Operations. He succeeds Lakshmi Venkatachalam, who just left ADB.

Mr. Gupta is a former Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the State Bank of India, where he was responsible for setting strategies and direction alongside other members of the State Bank’s Central Management Committee. Mr. Gupta currently sits as Independent Director on the boards of various business councils, financial services companies and other private organizations in India. He holds a Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Delhi.

Mr. Susantono will be responsible for the overall management of the operations of ADB’s Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, and Department of External Relations. He succeeds Bindu Lohani, who is retiring from ADB.

Mr. Susantono, previously Vice-Minister of Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, has had long experience in the academe as well as in providing policy advice to government and private sector organizations and international institutions. Mr. Susantono holds a PhD in Infrastructure Planning and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering, and City and Regional Planning from the University of California Berkeley.

ADB, based in Manila, dedicates itself to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2014, ADB assistance totaled $22.9 billion, including cofinancing of $9.2 billion.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and as of December 31, 2014, ADB’s cumulative commitments to Tajikistan totaled around $1.3 billion comprising 23 loans for $373 million, 27 grants for $853 million, and 75 technical assistance grants for $51 million. Around 83% of ADB’s portfolio is concentrated in three key sectors: energy (36%), transport (35%), and agriculture and natural resources (12%).